Health status and community functioning of adults with paediatric onset spinal cord injury discharged from CRP, Savar

Abstract

Background: Adults with paediatric-onset spinal cord injury is an important issue worldwide. However, it lacks evidence from developing and low-and-middle-income countries. Aim: the aim of this research was to identify the health status and community functioning of the adults with paediatric-onset spinal cord injury discharged from Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP), Savar. Methods: The study followed a cross sectional quantitative design by conducting telephone survey among 46 participants who received rehabilitation services from the CRP. Standardized questionnaire, SF-12 v-2 health survey to know the health status, Craig Handicap Assessment and Recording Technique (CHART) to know the community functioning of this population were used to collect data. Descriptive analysis was used by SPSS 20 to analyse the data. Results: 25 male and 11 female with mean current age 25.35, SD (±1.82) responded to the survey. 8.7% responded positive score in the physical health domain and 65.2% scored positive in mental health domain, which means their mental health status was better than physical health status. Among physical independence, cognitive independence, mobility, social reintegration and economic self-sufficiency domains of community functioning, cognitive independence was found as the most prevalent one with 73.9% responding independent in this. Conclusions: Specialised rehabilitation service for POSCI patients should be introduced by CRP. Barriers of community functioning should be reduced and special consideration should be given to the mobility domain. Keywords: Health, Community, Functioning, Paediatric-Onset, Adult, Spinal Cord